


Pillows

by fallencas



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Deaf Castiel, Fluff, M/M, Nerd Dean, Tattoos, basically theyre both blushing morons in math class, hand holding, note passing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-14
Updated: 2015-08-14
Packaged: 2018-04-14 02:50:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4547313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallencas/pseuds/fallencas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel lives day-in and day-out surrounded by people born with tattoos marked by the first words they hear their soulmate say. So when he grows up without one because of his deafness, he quickly finds himself ostracized from those around him. In comes Dean Winchester, the boy in his math class that, frankly, couldn't care less, and soon enough Cas is questioning everything he's ever known.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pillows

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm planning on this being super fluffy hehe enjoy!

Castiel didn't put much stock into soulmates. He couldn't fathom why such a plethora of people would rely so heavily on the concept. The tattoos appear from _who knows where_ , laying stagnant on your arm, and, yet, everyone is so apt to become a slave to the string of words. Sure, it'd be nice to find someone with compatibility guaranteed, but c'mon. It couldn't be all that it's cracked up to be. Maybe he was bitter because he grew up without a mark, or maybe because he couldn't hear his soulmate, even if he had one.

 _Maybe the grass is green, and the sky is blue,_ he thought.

He knew he didn't have a tattoo-couldn't, really-because listening to his soulmate's voice just wasn't in the cards for him. It would have been so much easier if the markings had been, like, a picture of his match, or something. _And if money sprouted from sighs, we'd all be millionaires._

Instead, this strange system targeted his weakness and turned him into even more of an outsider than he already was. He would never know the first words his soulmate said to him. He was stuck just making do with a guess and hope. Even if he didn't wholeheartedly believe in the idea, he secretly wished he knew what the fuss was all about. At night, in the quiet of his room, he would imagine what his tattoo would say, or act out scenarios of his first meeting with his soulmate. The wonder and eventual satisfaction must feel like flying, or maybe falling. These bouts usually ended in puffy eyes and broken glass.

His heart trembled when he thought about the world that hid from him. After reading countless tales of hearing one's heartbeat, or listening to silent breaths of confessions, he couldn't get enough of the possibilities. He dreamed of sound, and all that it could offer. He imagined singing was an ink splattering, and whispers were the cracks between the bricks on a wall. Yelling was, of course, fireworks that lit up the sky and demanded attention. His favorite fantasy though, was the 'I love you's.' Those were the soft reassurance of pillows.

Soon enough, his wishful thinking turned into doubts and eventually bitterness. It was easier that way. Low expectations couldn't cause disappointment.

 --

Castiel was less than eager to get to school that day. Only three weeks into senior year, and he could already tell it was a bust. His entire class had practically given up on their work, while the teachers incessantly tried to spark life back into the twelfth graders. Ergo, everyday ended with frustrated staff members and uncaring students.

He slipped into class several minutes before it started and trudged to his seat in the back of the room. He purposefully only made eye contact with the ground and didn't even notice that a certain Dean Winchester was already seated in the chair next to his.

Even though they had gone to school together for years, that boy's freckles alone could still cause Castiel's brain to short circuit. He never had the guts to approach him, but that didn't mean he hadn't heard about the enigmatic Winchester. He wore Star Trek t-shirts under plaid and leather and listened to Metallica while he read comic books. No one understood him, and everyone wanted him. As far as Castiel knew, though, he turned everyone down in favor of leading a Sci-Fi Club meeting, or working on calculus.

The reminder of math class snapped him back to the present, and-oh God-hopefully he hadn't been staring long. Apparently Dean had been trying to talk to him, by the way he moved his lips.  _Dean's lips, oh my god. So pink and- no. Not the time. Focus, Novak._

He awkwardly coughed and waved, then swiftly sat down and diverted his eyes.  _Smooth, Castiel._ _He probably thinks you're either socially inept or a jerk._

He leaned back and prayed to whoever's out there that this hour passes quickly.

\--

Twenty minutes into class, and Castiel was already finding the tiles on the ceiling more appealing than Mr. Shurley's lesson on derivatives. 

A paper slid across the table into his work space.

Perplexed, he stared at the sheet, until he realized- oh. Dean was passing him a note. Perhaps, he needed assistance understanding the math.

However, the messy handwriting read simply, _"Hey, Cas."_  

He just wanted to say hi? Well, this was an interesting start to his day.

He jotted down a response, mystified.

_"Cas?"_

The only nickname that had really stuck throughout his childhood had been 'Cassie' by his siblings, notably Gabriel. While he didn't hate it, he much preferred this.  _Cas._ He wished he could hear Dean say it.

Some days, Castiel imagined Dean's voice sounded like honey- sweet and everlasting. On other occasions, he dreamed it resembled the brilliance and power of lightning. He wondered if Dean could sing. If music were ink splatters, then he would surely sound like a million pens breaking and bleeding.

_"Idk, man. shorter.. & it fits you :)"  _

Before he could respond, the taller boy grabbed the paper back and quickly scrawled another note.

His hands were beautiful. Callouses dotted his finger pads, and cracks connected them like constellations. They looked strong and had so much character. He envisioned what kind of work lead to them. Landscaping, perhaps? Maybe carpentry or auto repair.

_"I mean if that's ok with u. because I could call you something else, if u want. or just stick with castiel."_

The blonde-haired boy shrugged at him sheepishly, the tips of his ears turning pink. Castiel fought off a grin.

 _"No, no. I like it. :) Hello, Dean."_ That was okay, right? This shouldn't be too hard. Just... Communicate like a normal person. This was especially problematic, seeing as Cas was definitely the opposite of that. 

Dean's mouth twitched up, and his face blushed scarlet. He would be lying if he said that it wasn't the cutest thing ever. _  
_

The green-eyed teenager pushed the paper back to him.

_"Hey, Cas."_

_"You already said that."_

_"Right... So, you interested in any of this stuff Shurley's going on about?"_  Go figure.Dean Winchester starts a conversation with him, and it ends up being about math.

_"Yes, I find it incredibly fascinating."_

_"Really? Oh, cool. I guess I can leave you alone if you want to pay attention."_

_"That was a joke, Dean."_

After the way Dean looked at him, open-mouthed and blotchy cheeked, he was definitely going to find more ways to make that boy blush.

 _"I knew that. I was just testing you, ya know."_ That was honestly the most remarkably cheesy and predictable comeback he could have come up with. Cas nearly laughed out loud, but quickly muffled himself, forgetting for a second that it would disturb other students. 

_"Of course ;)"_

He nudged the paper to his right and awaited Dean's response.

A minute went by, then two, then three, and the other boy still hadn't written back. He may not be the best with social interactions, but he thought he had been doing okay. He replayed the conversation in his head over and over, trying to figure out where he went wrong. Maybe he shouldn't have drawn a winking face. That probably made him really uncomfortable, and now he was sitting there regretting ever reaching out to him.

Before he could get any more carried away, a folded piece of paper made its way to his side of the desk. Dean's expression was unreadable.

It took everything in Castiel's power not to yank the note out of his hand.

_"I ~~think~~_

_~~Your eyes are~~ _

~~_I don't_ ~~

~~_I really like_ ~~

_Your eyes are really blue."_ Cas grinned wide and blushed hard. 

In his experience, boys never complimented him. Hell, they didn't even try to talk to him. He was just the tattoo-less deaf kid that no one really knew how to act around, so they didn't act at all. And yet. And yet, this boy didn't seem to care or even notice. In the span of fifteen minutes, he took every notion he had held of high school boys, and flipped them on their head. Dean was a mystery, and Cas was determined to read every page.

He looked over at Dean, but the boy was pointedly staring down at his desk and absentmindedly rubbing the back of his neck, chagrined.

 _"Your freckles remind me of constellations."_ He shoved the note to his right before he could think twice. 

That must have been the end of the conversation because Dean's pen was nowhere in sight, and he was turning back to the front of the room.

Cas tried to appear placid. He rested his chin in his left palm and let his right dangle at his side. Even with his relaxed posture, he was sure his face gave away his mental freakout.

Just as his face turned back to a normal shade and his pulse slowed down enough to breathe, a warm hand brushed the back of his, and all his attempts at remaining calm were shot to hell. He glanced under the table just as Dean threaded their pinkies together. His hand was soft and pliable, in contrast to its appearance. Castiel quickly got with the program and curled his finger around the other teenager's.

They sat like blushing children for the rest of the class period, pretending math made sense, and they were supposed to be together.

Cas may not put much faith into soulmates, but he was starting to believe in Dean Winchester.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked the first chapter :) please feel free to leave any feedback ^^


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